![A front loader shores up dunes in Toms River's Normandy Beach section, Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo: Daniel Nee)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC_0384-1024x681.jpg)
A front loader shores up dunes in Toms River’s Normandy Beach section, Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
As the forecast track of Hurricane Joaquin brought it to the Jersey Shore’s doorstep by Monday morning, local communities began preparing for its potential impact.
Nowhere along the state’s coastline is more vulnerable than Ocean County’s northern barrier island, where dune systems destroyed during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 have yet to be rebuilt following delays in gaining easements to complete a federal beach and dune replenishment project. In Brick and Mantoloking, however, an extra layer of protection exists in the form of a steel sheet pile wall anchored into the ground to help protect the island from breaches.
![Locals walk the beach in the Brick Township portion of Normandy Beach, Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo: Daniel Nee)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC_0388-1024x681.jpg)
Locals walk the beach in the Brick Township portion of Normandy Beach, Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Elsewhere, communities have started the process of getting their beaches ready for Joaquin’s potential impact.
In Lavallette, sand has been pushed up onto beach entrances, effectively blocking them by creating a makeshift berm where water could penetrate the dunes. The north in Toms River’s Normandy Beach section, front loaders were at 5th Avenue, shoring up makeshift dunes along the hobbled oceanfront area.
In Seaside Heights, crews continues to work on a temporary dune line, said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz. Borough employees were also inspecting storm drains, fueling and running OEM vehicles and testing generators.
Seaside Heights is also in the process of scheduling manpower for its municipal electrical utility and placing sandbags at its Public Works buildings.
Though unrelated to Joaquin, heavy surf made Manasquan Inlet treacherous for boaters. Two U.S. Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Life Boats stood watch at the inlet, guiding commercial fishing boats, party boats and other vessels safely through the waterway.
![](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/shorebeat_v3_logo.png)
Advertisement
![The Hugh J. Boyd elementary school in Seaside Heights, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/boyd_school_seaside_heights_1739-80x80.jpg)
Seaside Heights & Seaside Park
Seaside Heights School Board Seeking More Participation, Will Change Meeting Times
![John Marrone (Photo: Ocean County Jail)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marrone-80x80.jpg)
Police, Fire & Courts
Seaside Park Man, 68, Charged in Fatal Crash With Pedestrian
![Acme, Ortley Beach (Photo: Daniel Nee)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_4637.jpg)
Ortley Beach & North Beaches
Lottery Ticket Worth $10K Sold at Ortley Beach Acme
![The home on Middle Sedge Island, Barnegat Bay, Toms River, N.J., May 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/middle_sedge_hankins_island_lavallette_nj_barnegat_bay_toms_river_1805-80x80.jpg)
Ortley Beach & North Beaches
Abandoned Private Island ‘Mansion’ in Barnegat Bay Poised for Demolition
![Seaside Park's repainted water tank, May 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)](https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/dji_fly_20240517_153528_302_1715974629501_photo_optimized-80x80.jpg)